296 LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 



yet been specified. If a colony does not destroy its drones 

 at the lime when they are killed in other hives, it is a sus- 

 picions indication which demands immediate investigation. 

 If it retains them late in the season, it is almost certain that 

 it is not in possession of a fertile queen, although I have 

 occasionally known a good stock to retain its drones until 

 early in September. 



The great importance of getting rid of the excess of 

 drones has several times been referred to ; I am indebted to 

 Mr. P. J. Mahan, of Philadelphia, a most fearless and suc- 

 cessful operator with bees, for the highly important discovery 

 (pp. 202-3) showing the very large consumption of honey 

 by the drones. 



It is interesting to witness the deportment of the drones, 

 when they find themselves excluded from the hive. For a 

 while, they persist in searching for some wider opening, and 

 vigorously strive to squeeze their bulky bodies into a smaller 

 compass ; finding this to be in vain, they stop the loaded work- 

 ers on their passage to the entrance, and solicit from them the 

 contents of their honey bags. After receiving a supply, they 

 resume their efforts to force an entrance into the hive, until 

 finding this impossible, they resign themselves to their hard 

 fate, uttering, all the while, a plaintive note expressive of 

 their anguish at such cruel treatment. Listening to their 

 wailings, one may sometimes feel tempted to relent, and 

 give them admission to the hive ; still it is a satisfaction to 

 reflect, that not only much honey is saved by their prema- 

 ture death, but that their sufferings are much less than when 

 they are butchered by the workers. Those who use the 

 movable-comb hive, however, will find it much more profit- 

 able, as well as merciful, to prevent them from being born, 

 by removing drone comb from the breeding apartments. 



About a week after the young queens have hatched, I ex- 



